Jennifer Wyatt-Speegle MADirector of Writing and College Advising

Before Jennifer got her start in education, she worked as a restaurant manager at the “Happiest Place on Earth,” Disneyland. While she had committed over six years to the company, she had been unable to complete her undergraduate degree, which, as a first-generation college student, had been a top goal. So, she quit her job in 2008 and made a quick transition to working in special education and attending a local community college. While it was an uncertain time, Jennifer was confident that it was the right choice for her future.

Eventually, Jennifer transferred to California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), where she specialized in Latin American history, presented at two research conferences, and was the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the university’s historical research journal. After graduating summa cum laude with her B.A. in 2012, she started her Ph.D. program at the UC San Diego (UCSD). While there, she taught undergraduate writing and research courses and produced original research on women’s production of art and identity in Mexico. Around the time she was about to start writing her dissertation, she decided academia was not the path for her or her family. Once she completed her MA in 2017, she pivoted to curriculum development, admissions consulting, and test prep, committed to improving the student learning experiences and their outcomes.

Wanting to expand her skillset, Jennifer worked for StudySync, a forward-thinking educational publisher. While there, she developed English Language Arts curriculum for hundreds of school districts across the United States. In addition, she tutored high school students on SAT/ACT test prep and advised them on writing personal statements. In 2020, Jennifer joined the MedSchoolCoach team as a writing advisor, helping students applying to medical school produce authentic and compelling written application materials. She was then tapped to create and lead the writing advisor team, building a 50-person team from the ground up. Today, she is the Director of Writing and College Advising, where her role now includes leading the college advising team as well.

Jennifer enjoys helping students find their voice and encouraging them to share their unique experiences. More than that, she is an intuitive storyteller, and enjoys guiding others to powerful narratives that they are proud to own. As a former non-traditional, working class, first-generation college student, Jennifer understands how hard it is to navigate the admissions process. By helping students with writing, she hopes to make that process a little easier. When she is not helping students at MedSchoolCoach, Jennifer enjoys going to Disneyland and building Lego sets with her husband and three children.